Inferno
by Neko Kuroban
Summary: Raye tries to make Chad jealous. It doesn't end well. No one is surprised, are they?


**Inferno**

**An Instant Messages in the Night Side fic**

**Chapter One**

Author's Notes: Okay, this is a side fic for my epic "Instant Messages in the Night" telling exactly what happened between Raye and Chad between chapters six and eleven. It's heavy on detail, and more of an atmospheric fic, with a slightly fluffy ending of course. You don't need to have read IMitN to understand it, however, though you might enjoy it more if you did.

~Neko Kuroban

P.S. Also, see if you can find where some character's from a few other fandoms have snuck in...

The large, high-ceilinged main room of the Crown Game Center was unusually crowded and hectic on that warm Wednesday afternoon. The place was also understaffed as Andrew and the owner's son, who usually only worked until two-thirty on weekdays, desperately tried to keep the place under control, both praying that Lizzie would be there soon to calm everyone with her carrying voice and charismatic nature. It was rare they had such a crowd at three-fifteen on a school day, but a local high school's boiler room had started malfunctioning that morning, and the students were dismissed at two so the hired maintenance men could work easier.

By the windows in the front of the arcade/restaurant, a rowdy gang of twelve students had pushed together three small tables so that some of them could attempt to do their Spanish homework. They had been kicked out of the close-by library for talking too loudly, and using profane words every sentence. And the fact that two boys had gotten into a fight, which the rest made bets on, couldn't have helped. Nor did the fact that most of them were smoking, and flicking the ashes onto the floor.

The stairs leading up to the lounge on the second floor were blocked off with a few blue-cushioned chairs, as the juice bar up there was still closed, as nobody had responded to the glaringly obvious "Help Wanted" sign placed on the glass doors.

Seventeen of the twenty stools at the large, colorless counter were filled by a group of senior citizens on their Wednesday bus trip to the strip mall. They had visited the small cinema for the matinee showing of "Once Upon a Mattress" only to find that it was four hours long, and were there for a belated lunch.

The manager's son - Ryan, his name card read - came out from behind the counter, with a mop, bucket and increasingly irritated expression, as someone spilt a plate of chili dogs on the blue-and-white checkered tile floor. Angrily, he wiped up the mess, scowling at the blonde boy who had spilt them all the while. Then Ryan shoved the mop back into the metal bucket, and pulled the cleaning supplies with him as he strode back into the kitchen, wisely ignoring the girl who had started ranting in front of the dessert case about how unfair it was to have to leave your dog tied up to a street lamp.

Chad knew who she was, after giving her a brief once-over. Aeris Gainsborough, the sandy-haired girl with green eyes that reflected the efficient florescent lights. She worked at the flower shop down the street. She was pretty, but also very taken - her boyfriend, Cloud Strife, was often known to hang around whenever she had a customer. And the two had a strange way of disappearing into the back room in between her clients.

Five girls wedged into a booth behind him were gossiping loudly about the upcoming Spring formal at their middle school and what music should be played, who they wanted to dance with, what they were going to wear, and wondering who was going to sit in the spilt Sprite _this_ time around.

The booth in front of him was occupied by a russet-haired youth a little bit older than Chad's sixteen years, and his adorable, girlfriend. The boy wore a tan trench coat with faded jeans, his russet hair gathered into a ponytail that fell over one shoulder. The girl was clad in a short sunshine-yellow dress, and, with one hand, swiftly snatched his black cowboy hat. 

The girl laughed triumphantly, the sound sweet and ringing, "Ha!" She stuck her tongue out at her boyfriend as she placed her trophy upon her own head, covering up her reddish-brown hair, so that only the curl at the ends were visible. "Even the great sharpshooter can't stop me!" 

The boy made a half-hearted snatch, "Aw, Selphie, give it back!" 

Chad pulled his eyes away from the two, forcing himself to remember that he was on a mission to find out what was going on with Raye Hino. He had been following her since he had seen her get off at bus stop when he was leaving the gym. She had caught his attention, and was looking...different. He cast his eyes over to the fifteen-year-old priestess-in-training. The entire noise of the arcade seemed to fade when he looked at her.

Raye Hino was extremely beautiful in her own way, a way that never ceased to captivate him. She was seated at a tiny table, obviously meant for two people, in Chad's direct visual range. Her long, shapely legs were crossed, an impatient frown etched on her flawless, commanding features as she took a careful sip of herbal tea, her high-heeled foot jiggling slightly. The girl appeared to be waiting for someone. 

It was obviously someone special to her, as she was wearing a short, tight crimson dress that hugged her slender frame, unlike anything he had ever seen her in. It was a strange, sharp contrast to her loose, flowing temple robes or conservative school uniform, especially with the low neckline that showed off her chest in a medieval fashion, and revealed her slim, tanned shoulders. Raye's long sable hair gleamed with brushing, falling silkily to her waist. Another thing he immediately noticed, was that she was wearing make-up. Though he personally thought that she looked better without it, the cosmetics called attention to her dark, rich violet eyes, something about her he had always loved. 

_'I should go talk to her...'_ Chad mused for the briefest of seconds before deciding against it. Many girls at his school admired him and he sometimes engaged in casual flirting with them, he never failed to lose his nerve when he was around Raye Hino.

Chad Himura was a reasonably good-looking guy with a kind, sleepy smile, and an approachable, friendly demeanor. Messy brown hair constantly fell into his warm, cinnamon eyes - he was trying to grow his hair out until he could pull it into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. The sixteen-year-old was tall and broad-shouldered, which was mainly what had gotten the coach of the Azabu basketball team to convince him to start playing.

Even though he usually took school seriously, he was a naturally goofy guy, and if he were in his school uniform, Chad wouldn't appear to be the type one would expect to be in a rock band. And yet, his clothes bore testament to it. He was clad in baggy black jeans, and a tight white cotton T-shirt that hugged his muscled chest beneath an unbuttoned ebony over shirt. Hanging around his neck on a thick metal chain, was a heavy, silver ring, with a snake on it, a single tiny garnet where the creature's eye should be. Though he was often yelled at by the teacher's for wearing it, he never took the necklace and ring off. It bore testament to his shadowed past.

He played the drums for a rock band called Fiery Thicket, though he was beginning to take up guitar again - an old comfort - at the suggestion of his best friend and band mate, Erik Windrunner.

Chad often wondered why he liked Raye, and this moment was no exception. The only reason he could ever come up with was that he liked her because he liked her. _'What kind of screwed up logic is _that_?'_ The rational part of himself demanded. He shrugged to himself, and continued to watch her.

Raye wasn't like other girls, and that drew him to her. She had an almost dangerous aura surrounding her, fires blazed in her eyes. She had a refusal to obey the simplest order, all the while performing difficult tasks unaided. She was proud and was passionate about everything that she did, exciting him and soothing him at the same time.

Raye Hino was imperfect - imperfect enough for him to consider to be perfect.

Chad's musing was cut short as a miserable-looking raven-haired youth, wearing a dark blue shirt and khakis strode in through the automatic doors. He recognized him from his art class, and also knew that several girls in Azabu high school had broken hearts because of the boy's cold, icy demeanor. Chad's eyes narrowed, in the safety of his thick bangs, as the guy made a beeline straight for Raye's table.

Raye's eyes, the dark violet depths that Chad always loved so much, lit up from within, as she elegantly got to her feet, and kissed Darien Shields lightly on the cheek.

Chad felt something in him tighten at the display, and slid out of his booth. His fists were clenched, his nails digging into the skin, as he left. He could feel Raye's eyes on him, but didn't turn around.

***

To say that Chad was upset as he strode into his room in the temple, and grabbed a battered, blue-covered notebook and a pen, before heading outside again would be a mistake. 

The mere sight of Cherry Hill Temple stung at something inside of him. He stayed there while at school, as his wealthy parents were friends with Grandpa. They claimed that they wanted him to learn the ways of a Shinto priest, but deep down, he had a feeling that it was only because his parents couldn't stand having him around. He was a constant reminder of his now-deceased sister Alyssa, both in his slack-off attitude and messy, casual, I-could-care-less appearance.

His head was spinning dazedly, but he knew one thing: he did not want to stay at Cherry Hill Temple any longer.

Unconsciously he began walking past the temple, into the fields that surrounded the place. He stopped at the top of a hill, sitting beneath a single tree. The peaceful view from here always inspired a sense of candor in him. Though, it's calming effects fell on blinded eyes today, he wanted to visit it one last time.

He didn't know where he would go, but was almost certain that he had enough money saved up to be able to afford the cost of renting a small apartment. Chad was sure he would be able to explain the situation to his parents next time they called his cell phone, if they didn't forget again, too busy being the heads of a large software company called InterCorp. _'Do I need to explain it?' he wondered. __'It's my_ life.'__

With a sigh, he opened the notebook, flipping past several pages filled with words written in black ink and his un-orderly scrawl. Few people knew that he wrote song lyrics; it was one of the few things he was shy about for no reason. Uncapping his pen, he began to write.

***

Raye clattered into her room, feeling hopeless. She wasn't crying, there was only a dull heavy ache, mingled with a sharp pain, as if a dull knife had pierced her ribcage from behind, went all the way through, embedding the blade and its handle, but then the blade had snapped off, leaving a dull sliver of metal and the handle in her ribs. 

The girl sat down on her bed, and removed her scarlet high heels, rubbing the blisters she had acquired gently. Funny how emotional pain always outweighs physical pain; physical soreness always makes everything else hurt more. She removed her uncomfortable dress and threw on her pajamas, ignoring the fact that it wasn't even five o' clock in the evening yet.

She padded down the hallway, taking a glance at the atrium where the fires were kept as if for comfort. She mentally slapped herself for being so silly, of course Grandpa wouldn't be there to give advice, he was on a retreat in the mountains with a group of monks. She stared at the blaze for a moment longer, then turned away, the flames making her feel hollow inside.

She went into the bathroom and splashed her face with sharp, stinging cold water. Without thinking, she crossed the room to the bath tub, placed the rubber stopper in and turned on the tap, watching warm water fall in. 

Guilt overtaking the slight girl, tears sprang unbidden to her dark eyes. "Damn it!" she swore aloud, "Why is it that none of my plans ever work?" Raye moistened her upper lip, her teeth soon followed. "Crap!" All she had wanted was for Chad to notice her for once; preferably notice her with a cute guy, feel a twinge of jealousy, and ask her out... She leaned against the wall, slumping to the floor. The tub wasn't even a quarter full yet, but she got to her knees, using the porcelain ledge as support, and turned the water off. She glared at the warm aqua with a look akin to disgust. Her eyebrows knitted together. _'Boil.'_ She commanded mentally, then repeated her order aloud in a bare hiss-like whisper. 

Steam rose from the water, a satisfied smile overtaking Raye's pretty features as she stood. She had accomplished somewhat control over her recently-discovered powers. The air thickened and then... the steam thinned... "Boil! The power of Mars is heat, so boil!" The water vapor disappeared. Frustrated, she plunged her hand into the hot water without flinching and removed the plug, straightening as the liquid drained.

Raye roughly dried her wet hands of with a small linen hand towel, her mind wandering away from the here and now. 'Is this kind of like what Dad felt when he left - no, abandoned - me?' she wondered to herself. She sighed, dropping the cloth to the floor, in remembrance of how, ten years ago, her work-obsessed father had left her in the care of her maternal grandfather at the shrine.

_'I should apologize,'_ she mused. Something her father had never done for her all those years ago. But she didn't want to be like him.

TO BE CONTINUED


End file.
